Patent GB-380798-A (GB)
Title: Improved method of and apparatus for controlling the operation of railway switch points
IPC: B61L17/00
Filed: 1931-06-12
Abstract: 380,798. Shunting-yard points control apparatus. BRITISH POWER RAILWAY SIGNAL CO., Ltd., and MORDIN, R., Windsor Works, Slough, Buckinghamshire. June 12, 1931, No. 17175. [Class 104 (i).] In a hump shunting yard for the sorting of " cuts " of wagons the series of routes, each defined by electrical conditions, are set up in succession by operating in turn that single electric switch which is individual to each route ; each route is set up as a complete route on the first empty storage apparatus of a number of such storage apparatuses each of which comprises electrical operated devices and the electrical conditions in a storage cause the required points settings to be effected at the appropriate times. A route after being set up in any storage causes an indication to be displayed for checking purposes ; if an incorrect route has been set up a cancelling push frees the storage section and permits the correct route to be set up therein. When a " cut " reaches its siding the particular storage for such " cut " is freed. The Figures illustrate the arrangements for a yard having eight sidings, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the storage apparatus, and Fig. 4 the points control apparatus, the figures being diagrammatic. The apparatus includes various relays and stepping switches, and in the following description the reference numerals denoting the relay contacts are prefixed by the letter f or b according as they are front or back contacts and the relay reference is added. To set up the route for the siding 3, Fig. 1, the plunger P3, Fig. 2, is operated to pick up a relay S3 the circuit being from negative over relay S3, wire 13, contact 3, wires 23, 10. contacts 19, 20, to positive. This effects the energization of relay DC1 over f53 S3, wire 37, relay DC1, b39 DC2, wire 70, wiper D/1 on zero stud, to negative ; relay DC1 thereupon energizes the stepping magnet MD from negative, wiper D1 on zero stud, wire 70, b39 DC2, f38 DC1, and b82 DH. The wipers D/1, D/2, D/3 move on to studs one and as the line 122 is open at contact 106 CE1 the relay DC1 is de-energized so that relays CC1 and DC2 are energized from negative over b106 CE1, wire 120, winding 147 of relay CC1, wire 125, wiper D2 on stud one, f73 S3, b49 DC1 and winding 89 of relay DC2. Relay DC2 opens its back contact 39 to prevent further stepping of the magnet MD and wipers D/1, D/2, D/3 and is held by a stick circuit over f53 S3, f40 DC2, to its upper winding 88. Relay CC1 causes the storage stepping magnet M1 to be energized over wiper W1/2 on zero stud and f109 CC1. The wiper moves on to stud one of W1/2 and as this stud is connected to positive over b51 S1 the magnet again steps and moves its wiper on to stud two which is connected to positive over b52 S2 so that the magnet steps its wiper on to the stud three which is dead since back contact 53 of relay S3 is open. The wipers W1/1 .. have thus been stepped to a position corresponding with that route plunger P3 which was actuated. Relay CE1 was energized when wiper W1/1 moved off the zero stud and the winding 147 of relay CC1 was therefore de-energized at the opening of b106 CE1 but relay CC1 is stuck by its upper winding 146 and contact 109 so long as the wipers W1/1 .. are stepping. The relay S3 is stuck firstly over f31 DC1 and secondly over f19 SRH and b20 DC1, the relay SRH being energized firstly over f32 DC1 and secondly over f111 CC1. When the wiper W1/2 reaches stud three the relay CC1 is de-energized so that the relay SRH is now de-energized and in turn de-energizes relay S3 which de-energizes relay DC2. The first route has therefore been set up in the storage CS1 by the storage wipers W1/1 .. being positioned in correspondence with the actuated route plunger. The distributer wipers D1, D2, D3 are on stud one and the line 122 is now connected to negative over f106 CE1. If the next route to be set up is to be for the siding 2, Fig. 1, then the plunger P2 is actuated and in a similar manner the wipers W2/1 .. of storage CS2 are set to correspond by the action of the relays DC1, DC2 stepping the distributer wipers D1, D2, D3 from the now negatively live stud one to stud two whereby relay CC2 is energized over line 225 to actuate the wipers W2/1 .. and to render stud two of wiper D1 negatively live over f207 CE2 and line 222 in readiness for setting up the next route in storage CS3. The wipers W1/3, W1/4, W1/5 of storage CS1 are now at positive potential over b110 CH1 and b111 CC1 and thus condition the contact banks shown in Fig. 4 in readiness to operate the points when a starting push ST is actuated. For routes 1 .. 4, Fig. 1, the points K must be set to the left and accordingly four studs of the bank W1/3 are looped and connected by wire kl1 to a stud of bank K1 the wiper of which would energize a relay KL to set the points K to the left. Routes 5 .. 8 require the points K to be set to the right and accordingly the next four studs of wiper W1/3 are looped together and connected by wire krl to a stud of bank K2 the wiper of which would energize a relay KR to set the points to the right. The studs of bank W1/4 are looped in pairs and similarly connected to contact banks such as A1, A2 for the operation of the points A. For example, routes 3 and 4 require the points A to be set to the right and the second two studs of bank W1/4 are therefore looped and connected by wire ar1 to a stud of bank A2 ready to energize a relay AR to set the points to the right. The studs of bank W1/5 are each connected to a contact bank, such as D1 or D2, for the operation of the points D. For example, route 4 requires points D to be set to the right and accordingly this stud of bank W1/5 is connected by wire dr1 to bank D2 ready to energize a relay DR to set the points D to the right. The wiper of bank W1/5 will in addition cause the appropriate indication lamp 1 .. 8 to light thus checking the route set up in the storage CS1. Should a wrong route have been plunged a cancelling push such as CL2 for storage CS2 is operated. Relay CH2 is picked from positive over push contact 202 and is stuck over f203 CH2 and f204 CE2 since relay CE2 was energized when wiper W2/1 moved from the zero stud on the setting up of the incorrect route. The stepping magnet M2 is therefore continuously operated over wiper W2/1, wires 216, 217, f205 CH2 and wire 218 until the wiper reaches the zero stud again. The push contact 201 likewise picks up the relay DH which sticks over its contact 83a and causes the stepping magnet MD to be continuously operated over wiper D3 and f83 DH until the wiper D3 is on the zero stud. The correct route is now plunged and relay DC1 is energized as before but does not drop when the wiper D1 reaches stud one since this stud is negatively live over wire 122 by reason of the route already set up in storage CS1 having energized relay CE1 to close front contact 106 CE1. The magnet MD is therefore still energized over this line 122, wire 70, b39 DC2, f38 DC1, b82 DH and so steps the wiper D1 on to stud two the line 222 of which is open as storage CS2 is free. The relay DC1 now drops to cause the energization of relays DC2 and CC2 to cause the setting up of the new route in storage CS2 in the manner previously described. By actuating the starting push ST, Fig. 4, the magnets MK, MA . . for the points operating banks are stepped to put their wipers on to studs one. As storage CS1 is set for route 3 the lines kl1, ar1, dl1 are live positively and so energize relays KL, AR, DL, to operate the points machines PK, PA, PD to set the points K to the left, the points A to the right, and the points D to the left. Those points which are not included in this route have their wipers stepped round to the first bank contact which is live ; this is effected by the energization of their stepping magnets over back contacts of the points machine relays. For example, if points A were not included in the route the magnet MA would be energized over back contacts a3 and a4 of relays AL, AR and would continue to step until a live stud was reached, whereupon relay AL or AR would be energized to set the points A and to open the stepping magnet line, The starting push ST may be actuated by the clearance of the entrance signal to the hump. When a cut of wagons passes over a points track section a track relay steps the wipers on to the next stud. If this stud is live the points are required for the next cut and are set in readiness, but if the stud is dead then the magnet continues to step the wipers until a live stud is reached, whereupon these points are set in readiness for the first later cut which requires such points. The starting push ST also picks up the relay DH, Fig. 2, over push contact ST1, wires 87, 85. The relay DH is then stuck up to effect the continued stepping of magnet MD to return the wipers D1, D2, D3 to zero. When the first cut of wagons passed the final points track section such as at the points D a circuit to relay CH1 was momentarily closed over a back contact d17 closed when the section is free, a front contact d19 of a slow release relay Dy energized during occupation of this track section, wiper D5, wire dh1, wiper W1/6, and wire 114. The relay CH1 then returns the storage CS1 to the free condition in a manner similar to that described for cancellation. Thus the storage is freed when its cut of wagons reaches the required siding. In a modification, Fig. 5 (not shown), only the last route set up is indicated and a single cancellation push permits the last route set up to be corrected. The apparatus above described has as many storages as the required number of cuts and the routes are stored before releasing the cuts over the hump. A modification, Figs. 6 and 7 (not shown), has only four storages which are operated as the cuts descend the hump, the storage distributer and points-control banks of contacts having every fourth contact connected. The indication is cancelled as the cut leaves' the first points track section.